And In The End
by Danigirl32
Summary: AU based on current storyline: Five years have past since Jason betrayed Sonny and eventually left Port Charles. What could have brought him back to a city that contained nothing but danger if his presence is discovered. A Liason fic. All Disclaimers App
1. Chapter 1

Elizabeth Webber sometimes felt quite ordinary next to her best friend Emily Quartermaine-Corinthos. That was never as true as it was tonight, she thought, as they walked into the Corinthos Art Gallery.

Emily was dressed elegantly in a blue strapless gown that draped her willowy figure easily. She had confided earlier that it was a recent purchase of her husband of five years, Sonny Corinthos, coffee importer/alleged mob boss.

Her hair was pinned into an elegant chignon, diamonds glinted on her ears and wrist and her makeup sedate. She looked every inch the wife of a dangerous man. It was just rather sad that she wasn't the doctor that she had always planned to be. After marrying Sonny, medical school had taken a back seat to Sonny's life and kids.

Liz on the other hand had dressed in a slim black slip dress, all she could afford on her nurses salary. Since the divorce, it took every cent to provide for Cameron and make a stable life for them both. If she wished for something more, she only had to look at the woman that her former husband had married a mere six weeks after the ink on their divorce papers were dry and know that she was lucky. If you could pardon the pun.

There was an old saying that life never handed you any thing that you couldn't handle and she had held strong to that one reassurance when her world fell apart.

"I'm going to go to Sonny, you have a look around," Emily said before turning to leave her standing in the crowded gallery alone.

The only reason that she had come tonight was to support Emily and this ridiculous need she had found to clean up Sonny's image. Using the Quartermaine name and prestige, she hoped to make everyone see that her husband wasn't as bad a man as everyone perceived him to be. As if an art gallery bearing his name would change who Sonny Corinthos was. Yeah, well, Emily had a long way to go before anyone swallowed that line of garbage.

Liz watched Emily fold intimately, much too intimately for the setting she personally thought, into Sonny's arms, then press a kiss to his mouth. Sonny caught her eye and waved briefly, so she returned it, figuring it was better just to go along.

That's when she saw them. Her ex and a woman she had considered a friend. They stood next to a sculpture, both looking uncomfortable despite how hard they tried to fit in. She in a dark green dress and diamonds, he in an elegantly tailored suit.

Nikolas was with Maxie andpassed her a glass of champagne after wrappingan arm around her waist. He said something to Lucky that had the four of them glancing in her direction. Unsettled, she turned and quickly walked away. The last thing she wanted was the pitying glances of Samantha and Lucky Spencer.

She was long past anger. It was ridiculous to hold on to it considering she was the one who ended things. Tired of trying to make Lucky feel like a man, tired of bending backwards to support him only to have her love shoved back in her face.

How many times could she be accused of emasculating him, before it turned into bitter resentment? Better to let him go than hold on to what could have been. Besides, he was actually happy with Sam and that was all she ever wanted for him.

In her rush to escape, she bumped into Alexis and another former husband, Ric. Could this night get any worse?

"Elizabeth?" Ric took a cautious step forward, placing an attentive hand on his wife's waist to steady her. "I didn't know you were coming tonight?" As if she was too unimportant to come to this gallery opening. Not too long ago, before her life changed so dramatically, she would have had art hanging on these walls.

"Emily wanted me to come," she answered and tried not to fidget. When did she become so uncomfortable around these people? No matter, she pasted a smile on her face, one that she used to talk with surly patients and arrogant doctors.

"Ric, I see Sam and Lucky we should go say hello," Alexis pointed out, gesturing to her daughter. "I want to speak to her about Danielle and enrolling her in the same school as Molly."

Of course, Alexis wanted to talk to Sam about her granddaughter; it seemed that Alexis controlled not only her own marriage but her daughter's as well. "It was nice seeing you again Liz," she murmured.

Liz could see the discomfort in her eyes, not only because _she_ was married to her ex husband, but because her daughter was married to her ex husband as well. It was like musical chairs, and when the song went off, you had to look carefully to see who was married to whom.

"Of course," she stepped aside, wanting away from that mixed up family, just as badly as Alexis wanted away.

The wealthy patrons of Port Charles crowed around various works sipping champagne discussing whatever looking evermore like the "beautiful people," and making her feel just a little left out.

It was a feeling she didn't necessarily enjoy. Not since leaving her parents and coming to live with her grandmother had she felt inadequate, though in her head she knew she had no cause to feel that way.

She was a good nurse, even if it wasn't quite the career she had in mind for herself. Her family had a long tradition at General Hospital and she was proud to play her part in that legacy. If she wished to hold a paintbrush instead of a blood pressure cuff, she only had to remember her reason for setting that dream aside.

Her son.

"Why did I come here tonight?" she murmured, trying to remember exactly why she allowed Emily to convince her that she would have fun tonight. She could remember a time when everyone in this building had been an important part of her life.

How quickly all that changed. Emily's life revolved around Sonny. Lucky was married to another woman. She still saw Nikolas occasionally, but he was married to Maxie now and raising his son John. Ric was a past that didn't bear dwelling on and no one else, really mattered much anymore. Not when she was paying rent, driving Cam to school and just living her life as best as she could.

The heels of her sling backs clicked lightly on the hardwood floor as she walked into an empty secluded area. Was captured by the piece off the center of the room.

There on the opposite wall. It couldn't be.

Slowly she crossed the room, her eyes trapped by the vision before her. The colors, wild shades of blue swirled passionately across the canvas, leaving her slightly breathless. She glanced around the empty room, then lifted a tentative hand and began to trace one of the lashes of paint with a fingertip. If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel the energy wash against her face. The rush of adrenaline. The rumble of the engine.

The breath she released was shaky as her lower lip trembled. As she remembered.

The little place card beneath the abstract painting read only:

_The Wind _

It wasn't possible. How did this painting end up on this wall? She read on further, seeing only that it was an anonymous donation. Lifting fingers to her face and no longer feeling alone, she turned to find the true owner leaning against the wall. She should know. She was the one who gave it to him.

Tall, gorgeous, in a suit with his hands shoved deep in his pockets, instead of the jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket that her mind automatically placed him in. It made him not quite a stranger, but not the man that she remembered either.

The same feeling, something powerful zinging through her bloodstream, more than awareness not yet longing, hit with enough force to make her heart rate skyrocket.

She remembered it from day when he walked from the burning Corinthos-Morgan coffee house covered with soot and their eyes had locked. She remembered it from the day he walked into Kelly's, she had been sitting at the table with Sarah, and her eyes had caught that intense cerulean gaze and been mesmerized. Now after all these years, that feeling was still the same. Just the same.

"Jason."

Jason Morganstood in a corner watching her stare at the painting. It was worth every risk he took returning here tonight, just to see the look on her face. If anyone other than Elizabeth saw him tonight, he was a dead man.

It was a consequence he accepted after everything he did five years ago. You couldn't betray your best friend and expect to go on as if nothing had ever happened. He hadn't known how much he would lose when he made the choice.

Thought he knew, but truly didn't.

In the end, it hadn't mattered anyway. His sister stayed with Sonny, he could never see his nephew or his godson ever again, and the woman he loved chose to stay behind in Port Charles to get to know her mother.

He blamed none of them.

Five years of hindsight could be very illuminating.

He had been out of control, just as everyone around him had said. Instead of backing down, he had focused solely on protecting his sister who didn't want his protection. Tunnel vision, at least that's what Sam called it. So he rolled the dice and lost.

That afternoon he asked her to come with him, that moment when her eyes filled with tears, that second when she tilted her head to the side and looked at him with grief and sorrow, he knew that he had lost her.

For the first couple of years, his life had been fraught with danger. He had constantly looked over his shoulder to make sure that Sonny wasn't coming after him. Finally tired of running, he tapped an account flew into Italy and figured if he was going to die, he would make his last standbeneath the soft light of Venice.

Days past with no attack, then weeks and months and finally he realized none would come and he had to make a life for himself. It had been difficult. During the danger, he didn't have to remember the woman he loved and lost. During the quiet, he was haunted with her smile, the soft way she curved into him at night in bed. Eventually, he put that life behind him, made a new one, a new business, and new friends and became a new man.

One that he could honestly say he enjoyed being.

"Hello Elizabeth." He murmured and tried for a smile. Perhaps she wouldn't shriek in alarm and bring anyone rushing back here. He wondered what she saw when she looked at him. He was a little older, a little wiser, at least he hoped he was wiser. He still didn't like suits, but realized the need to blend in and had put on all rich navy blue. The lack of tie, still hadn't changed, however.

He had been passing through New York on business when he saw the article in the _Time_s about this little Gallery opening his sister had arranged. Ordinarily, news from Port Charles went in and out without too much of a thought on his part.

Then he for some strange reason he remembered the painting he had hanging over his bed in Venice and thought of her. A dream an old friend had that should have been realized. It was one of very few things he had taken with him when he left Port Charles.

He had gradually grown accustomed to lugging the canvas around when he split. It had become apart of his travel gear as much as the old dark green duffle bag he stuffed his clothes in and the gun he wore strapped to his back that he no longer used but wore for safety measures.

Her eyes widened briefly, before she quickly crossed the room and grabbed his hands, "What are you doing here?" She whispered, her voice filled with a mixture of surprise, panic and what he hoped was maybe pleasure at seeing him.

"In the neighborhood?"

Disbelief flickered across her face, then a wry smile, "Jason Morgan makes jokes?"

"Roman."

"What?"

"Roman Jonas. Jason Morgan no longer exists."

It was better that way. It kept him alive and it helped everyone move on. As far as the residents of Port Charles were concerned, when Jason Morgan left he disappeared and would never return.

"Roman," she murmured, and then smiled, lifting a hand to his cheek. "It's good to see you."

Jason reacted to her touch on a purely physical level, stunning the hell out of him. It shot through his body like warm brandy. Potent. Stirring.

Elizabeth was still quite beautiful no matter how many years had past. Slender, almost willowy, she stood out like a soft calla lily among too many roses. What did she need with sparkle, when her eyes were sapphires? Her simple black dress stood out in its elegance because her natural beauty was all she needed to shine. Long hair, the color of the richest espresso lay in flowing waves on her shoulders.

"As much as I would like to stay," he glanced around the room briefly, knowing their solitude couldn't remain uninterrupted much longer, "I can't."

"Why did you send the painting?"

"Because," he raised a hand and brushed the hair off her shoulder, needing to touch her just once to reassure himself that she was real. "You deserved to have it there and not hidden away on a ghost's wall."

"Thank you."

It was the least he could do. When all was said and done, she was the only one who realized his fear for what it was. Even before he had himself. She had understood his worry, even if she didn't agree with his methods of dealing with it. Then again, Elizabeth had always understood him even when they were angry at each other. Even when they had found lives separate from each other. She had always been his friend.

"You're welcome."

He turned to leave from the back entrance he had come in, he would climb inside the black BMW and drive back to the private airstrip just outside of town and go back to his life in Italy as Roman Jonas, wealthy recluse shipping mogul who no longer followed orders, no longer had to kill, and no longer lived in shadows.

"Roman wait..."


	2. Shiver

A whisper, icy and upsetting, trembled down his spine.

It was nothing he wasn't used to, the sensation had occurred several times during his lifetime and Sonny Corinthos figured by the time he was dead he would have experienced it on other occasions as well.

Sonny found himself thinking of a man who could have been the greatest threat of them all. The vulnerabilty that memory aroused was irritating and he did what he always had when taunted with the thought of his old friend. He shoved it aside.

He took a sip from the champagne flute in his hand and brushed a kiss over his wife's cheek, half-listening to whatever it was she mumbled on about with her parents.

You would think after five years of marriage everyone would have gotten the point. Emily wasn't the innocent that everyone wanted to believe she was. It was a façade that could still annoy him occasionally. Like this gallery, for some reason she wanted to play at society princess, like her grandmother. He could have told her that she had a long way to go before she measured up to that great woman, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings.

She turned and smiled at him, "Isn't that right Sonny?"

"Yeah," he agreed, not knowing what the hell she was talking about. He allowed his gaze to wander the room to the lovely blond that had caught his eye earlier.

Perhaps he should...

Yet there was that annoying sensation again, that bore just the hint of warning.

Maybe tomorrow.

A whisper, chilly and painful, trembled down her spine.

It brought back old memories that didn't bear thinking on. Memories of a brother she had cut from her life and didn't once look back. Emily Corinthos brought the champagne flute to her lips and took a sip, while giving her husband a discrete glance. She wasn't stupid, after five years, she knew when he was listening to her and when he was simply humoring her. Following the direction of his gaze, she almost sneered in disgust.

Well, wasn't that just like his faithless ass?

The least he could do was keep his mind off his damned pants for tonight, it was after all, important to her. She was sick of being treated like a social pariah. Sick of the whispers and newspaper articles. Sick of the pitying looks of her family. The last thing she wanted to hear was a very pointed 'I told you so,' regarding the man she married.

The little blond that Sonny had his eye on would be exactly what he deserved. Someone must have coined the phrase _"Her father's daughter"_ with Lulu Spencer in mind. She would chew Sonny up and spit him out and he would deserve it.Secretly, Emily would enjoy watching him get what he had coming.

Emily, glanced around the gallery, remembering Liz, and feeling just a bit guilty for having practically abandoning her at the door. She had after all convinced her to come tonight, for moral support.

Maybe she was getting just as selfish as her mother claimed she was. The she mentally rolled her eyes at that thought.Of course she wasn't selfish.Hadn't Sonny always told her that she was the most compassionate woman he had ever known?

Emily figured Liz would enjoy tonight, after all, she was an artist before she decided to switch gears and become a nurse.

A night at the gallery without Cameron, who was at the sitter's, would be nice for the overworked single mom. They didn't see each other as much as they did before she married Sonny. Life seemed to have gotten in the way, but Liz always had a smile and a shoulder of unconditional support for her and Emily had needed that tonight.

"I'm going to find Liz," she murmured to Sonny and he nodded distractedly, barely taking his eyes off the current object of his obsession. Rolling her eyes, she released a short sigh and walked toward the last place she had seen Liz, over by the private area with the collection of donated artwork that her assistant had gathered.

Emily sneered at Carly Jax who held court on the other side of the room as she made her way across the crowed floor. The woman smiled jauntily, waving, as if she had not a care in the world. Perhaps if she kept her children at home and didn't push them off on Sonny so much,Carly wouldn't have anything to be so happy about.

Michael was a terror, a smart ass with no respect for the adults raising him andgrowing up to be exactly like Sonny. Morgan was a little deviant, who liked to sneak around the compound and jump out of dark corners on unsuspecting victims. Kristina, well, she wasdark and morosemost of the time, probably terrified that Alexis would punish her if she dared to have fun.

When had these children turned into such horrors?

"Liz?" She glanced around the empty space, then back into the gallery, knowing that she couldn't have passed her. _"Liz?"_

A whisper, cold and poignant, trembled down her spine.

From the corner of her eye, a memory flickered briefly. A woman dressed in a black dress pulling the hand of a dark blond haired man through a door. The long stride. That handsome profile.

It was impossible.

"Sam? What's wrong?" She turned her gaze to her husband who had a comforting hand around her waist and leaned into him.

"Nothing," she smiled for him and her mother who she had been discussing schools with. Couldn't she just let it go for one night? Danni was only three years old and already Alexis was pushing toregister her in the same all girl academy that Molly attended. The last thing she wanted was to cause a scene there in public but her mother could be exasperating at times.

First, she had to accept her Cassadine heritage. This wasn't so bad, because she got Nikolas as a cousin. They had become good friends over the years and in turn allowed her to get to know Lucky.

In the beginning, shehad felt a little guilty dating Lucky while he was separated from Liz. He had assured her that their marriage was over and sure enough, when the divorce came through he proposed.

Her life was good; she had a husband that loved her. They owned a private investigative service, McCall and Spencer, which was doing well. It helped that Alexis and Ric funneled clients their way. Working with the district attorney's office and the Lansing private practice was good business. She even got her dream, her little girl that she named for her brother, Danielle.

If she often wondered about what might have been, she only had to feel Lucky's arms around her to let that thought go. She had a good life.

If only her mother would shut up every once in a while.

"I see Emily," she smiled, the two of them had remained friends over the years despite everything that had happened in the past. "I'm going to say a quick hello." Lucky nodded distractedly, half listening to her and half to Alexis. She hated to leave him trapped with her mother, but he seemed very tolerant of the woman. Emily was also alone at the moment, not with Liz Webber, so it was an ideal time. Sam's steps took her quickly across the room to the secluded area where Emily stood.

"Liz?"

GreatEmily was looking for the very woman she was hoping to avoid.

"Emily is something wrong?" Sam stepped into the room and felt her heart stutter to a complete stop.

"I was looking for Liz. It's like she just vanished," she heard the woman say, it sounded like her voice came from down a tunnel, because her sole focus had narrowed in on the painting against the wall.

She had seen it before.

At the penthouse, stored beneath a cloth in Jason's closet. When she asked what it was, he had shrugged and said that Liz had painted it for him. At first, she had wanted to ask if he wanted to put it on the wall, but from his quiet expression, she figured that maybe it was a memory that he didn't want to share. That had been fine with her, she had plenty of reminiscences that she preferred to keep to herself and she didn't need to know everything about his past relationships.

She had been confident in their love for each other. At least most of the time anyway. One afternoon while he was down at the coffee warehouse, unable to resist the temptation she had peeked beneath that cloth to find a painting that left her slightly wary. The blue had been exactly the varying shades of Jason's eyes. She didn't understand what the significance of those brush strokes, but it was obviously something important to them both. Important to Jason, because after he left, when she checked the closet the painting was gone.

Seeing it here, in this gallery tonight, when she thought...

It was impossible.

Jason never would have risked coming back to Port Charles, not after everything that happened with Sonny five years ago. Not after his relationship with Emily disintegrated.

Not after she refused to leave with him.

"I wonder where Liz went, it isn't like her to just disappear. She would have at least said good bye before going home."

Not if Liz left with a ghost.

He was here. It wasn't just a shimmer of memory. That long confident stride, that handsome face.

Jason was in Port Charles and he hadn't come for her.

A whisper, warm and tender, trembled down her spine.

"Are you sure you want this."

Elizabeth looked down at her sleeping son on the couch next to her, then up into the blue eyes thatwere as soft as a caress. The plane had just started its taxi down the runway and the pilot informed them that they would arrive in Venice by tomorrow afternoon. She felt her heart hammering in her chest. It wasn't fear. It wasn't uncertainty.

For the first time in years, it was excitement.

"Yes." She reached up and touched his face, "Yes Roman. This is what I want."


	3. Must Get Out

The soft muted sounds of Cam talking gradually filtered into her dreams. He was always very animated in the morning and today was no different. The scent of coffee touched her nose, as well as sausage and something sweet. Maybe Grams was cooking breakfast, she always like to come over on Saturdays to pick up Cam and take him to the park.Perhaps she would have just a few minutes more before she needed to shower for work.

A burst of giggles, mixed in with a husky chuckle had Liz cracking open a blurry eye.

"Who?" her groggy voice asked, then she covered her face to block the sun coming through the tiny windows. She glanced around the sparse but richly decorated room, realizing immediately that this wasn't her bedroom back at the tiny apartment in Port Charles.

Then she remembered last night and shot up on the bed.

Nervous, she pushed the hair off her face, moaning when she thought of what she must look like. She was tucked into a bed, wearing only a black shirt that rose up on her hips. Images scattered quickly like a broken strip of film through her mind. Jason. Rushing from the gallery. Making the insane decision to leave with him. Climbing aboard the private jet. Putting Cam down to rest and Jason offering this bedroom for her to sleep as well as the shirt she had on.

"I must be crazy," she murmured, tilting her head to the side to listen to even more giggles from her son. What Jason must think of her. No, he wasn't Jason anymore. He was Roman and she found the name easily slipped from her lips. Still, she had impinged on their friendship and practically begged to leave with him. All she knew was that in that moment, she didn't wantit to be the last time she ever saw him.

He had risked so much to bring that painting to her and then he would have walked right back out of her life as if he had never been there. And the painful desolation that thought brought her had been unacceptable. A hastily scribbled note left on the dresser in her apartment was all the warning she gave that she was leaving.

Taking only a moment to shove some things in a bag for herself and her son, she rushed back into the living room where Roman stood holding her sleeping son in his arms. She would call as soon as she arrived in Venice so that Grams wouldn't worry, but Liz found she couldn't regret her choice. He didn't ask if she wanted to change her mind until they were on the plane and that was just the same as the man she knew before.

Before the madness of Sonny and Emily.

Slipping from the bed, she stopped in the small bathroom to brush her teeth and make some semblance of the mess of her hair, then padded out to find that coffee that smelled so appealing.

Cameron and Roman were sitting at a small table eating breakfast. An empty glass sat next to her son's plate and a large mug of coffee sat next to his. There was the sausage she smelled. The sweet were huge gooey cinnamon rolls that Cam would soon have all over his shirt. They both looked up at her, her son with his usual sweet smile and Roman, with a look of curiosity. She figured those blue eyes would always affect her that way.

"Good morning?"

"Yeah, it's morning still," he answered her question, "Cam woke up and convinced me that breakfast was a good idea."

"I even had milk and everything," Cam assured her, making her smile. Their ease with each other didn't surprise her. Camknew that she would leave him with someone who couldn't be trusted.A few moments with Jason were all her son would need to realize that he was a good man. Jason was a man made to be a father. She figured that didn't change simply because his name had.

"Good," she nodded, seeing the remains of a milk mustache around his upper lip. He stabbed eagerly into the roll and pulled off a portion, which he promptly shoved into his mouth. Seven year olds never ceased to surprise her. "Small bites Cam," she reminded him and he nodded around the mouth full. He was a mixture of her and Zander, his father who had died without ever knowing him, but yet his own little person and that was good.

Was she crazy dragging her son away from everything he knew?

"We'll stop in Lisbon, Spain to refuel in two hours," Roman informed her softly and she wondered what he must have seen in her face. Her confusion. Her doubts. His expression was still, waiting, but she saw that hopeful light in his eyes that he couldn't quite hide. She couldn't regret coming with him, she only hoped that he wasn't regretting his decision to allow her to come along.

"I," she began, then stopped not knowing how to continue.

He rose from his seat, dressed simply in a pair of dark jeans and a dark grey v-necked shirt, and she wondered when he had the chance to change. Regretted missing it, she thought with a smile.

"I'm going to speak to your mother for a minute okay Cam?"

Cam nodded quickly, still very occupied with his treat but she felt his eyes follow them as they walked to the back of the small galley. She gave him a quick wink letting him know that everything was fine, then pulled the shutter so that they would have some privacy. "Thank you for sitting with him when he woke up."

Roman shrugged, "You looked like you needed to sleep."

It was remarkably the most rested she felt in a long while. When she wasn't rushing from work to Cam to home, there was hardly any time for sleep. "I feel like I'm burdening you. You didn't go to that gallery and expect to leave with two extra passengers on your way back to Italy. I didn't even think that you might not want to drag me along, not only that but there's Cameron too. I didn't think Roman, I'm sorry. If you want to put us on a flight back to Port Charles when we land, I won't blame you."

Without warning, he lowered his head and placed his mouth on hers.

The kiss dropped the pit of her stomach out and into a wild swirl. She had kissed him before and then there had been hunger, the emotion had frightened her because it was so new and different than any other she had ever experienced. Not now, no not now. The press of a cabinet bit into her back until he drew her into his arms. His scent surrounded her, warm and heady as she clenched at his shirt, then slid her hands up the muscled planes of his chest to circle his neck.

Fingers strong and sure, threaded through her hair to cup her face into his hand. He tilted her head, fusing them deeper into the kiss, sucking softly on her lower lips. The touch of his mouth was a delicious sensation, one she wanted to savor. One she never wanted to end. Parting her lips, his tongue explored the recesses of her mouth, tangled briefly with hers, lingering, savoring leaving her aching with need. She pushed closer to meet the demand of his mouth and didn't bother to hold back her whimper of pleasure.

When he raised his mouth from hers, they both were slightly breathless.Gazing into her eyes, he couldn't hide his feelings from her. They were potent, making her body feel amorous and heavy with an ache that she hadn't felt in so long. And they were slightly unsure, just like she was. "You're the first person to call me Roman and it feels okay," he murmured against her lips. "I want you with me Elizabeth."

She felt her already racing pulse leap with excitement. His husky voice,thick with desire, made her tingle. It made her feel good, wanted, not just because she was Mom, Nurse Webber, or Liz who everyone relied on to be supportive and kind, but because she was a woman. Elizabeth was a woman who needed this man's touch. "I want to be with you Roman."

"Then let's not think about the rest for a while. While the plane is refueling, we'll take a few hours, go see the city with Cam. Afterwards, we'll fly into Venice and you'll stay with me for a few days. You don't have to make any major decisions. Just be with me for the moment."

"Is it okay if I call my grandmother, I don't want her to worry about us."

He nodded once, "Yeah, but you have to remember."

"Roman Jonas," she broke in with a smile. "I'll remember."

"It makes no sense," Emily paced her small office, looking from her assistant Jean, to Sam who sat in the chair opposite her desk. "Are you sure Sam?"

"Yes, I'm sure Emily. That painting sat in Jason's closet up until the day he left and he told me that Liz painted it." Her voice was slightly strained and Emily hated bringing this subject up. It had to be painful for Sam. She didn't doubt that Sam had loved Jason before he tried to ruin all of their lives five years ago. Choosing to remain in Port Charles and not run off with him was probably the hardest decision she had ever made.

Lookhow it turned out for her though. She had a mother, a husband and a daughter. She had a career and wasn't always sitting in that penthouse waiting for Jason to issue some command and she was happy. What kind of life could she have had on the run all these years?

The only reason she brought it up now, was because of that frantic phone call she received from Audrey Hardy claiming that Liz had packed a bag, taken Cameron, and left Port Charles with no warning. No, she had no idea Liz was thinking of leaving town. No, she had no idea who Liz left with. As far as she knew, Liz was happy and content. Sure, she and Lucky had divorced, butLiz was the one who did that.

It all started when Lucky found out that she went to Jason during all that Manny Ruiz horror to protect him. Emily couldn't blame Lucky for his anger. That was part of Jason's problem, always thinking he knew what was right for everyone else. The fact that he was right about Sonny was something she refused to think about now.

The past five years had been fraught with tension and arguments. The other women, the possessive attitude, it had all occurred just like Jason said it would. Only she had held on through it all, determined to prove to everyone that she loved Sonny and Sonny loved her. They belonged together.

Emily glanced up at her assistant, "And you said the canvas was delivered by courier?"

"Yes," she nodded eagerly, and Emily could sense her fear. The woman hadn't done anything wrong, but it was good to keep the employees on edge and wondering. That was a lesson she learned from her husband. "I received a call from an administrative assistant with a Jonas Corp, from Venice. The arrangements for the painting were simple and were to remain anonymous. The ownership papers were genuine. It's apowerful piece and I had no reason to reject it."

"You didn't ask how a patron in Italy had heard about my gallery opening here in Port Charles New York."

"No ma'am." She shook her head quickly, "We were running out of time and still several paintings short, so I just accepted the contribution, especially since the owner said that we didn't have to return it but could add it to our collection."

It had been hell convincing people to donate artwork to the gallery with Sonny's name on it. So she could understand Jean's reasoning, to a point. "This Jonas Corp, is located in Venice you said?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Jason always said that he liked Italy, maybe he works for this company and he read about the opening. It's the only thing that makes sense." Sam offered. "I could always look into it if you want."

Emily wasn't fooled one bit, Sam's generous offer had as much to do with helping her as finding Jason for herself. At least Emily could discover if her best friend had left town with her backstabbing brother. "Sure," she shrugged, "You and Lucky can look into it, if you want." She would wait to tell Sonny about Jason's possible re-emergence until Sam offered her concrete evidence. He would take it as a direct assault. The last thing she wanted was Sonny on the warpath again.


	4. Sunday Morning

Jason sat at the small table and watched as Elizabeth walked around the small water fountain snapping pictures with the digital camera he bought the day before after driving into the quaint city of Lisbon. They spent a few hours yesterday in Spain, enjoying a brief lunch then boarded the jet for Venice. A car awaited them after landing and drove into the city to the large apartment he used when he didn't want to go home during the week. Later this evening after some sightseeing and dinner, they would drive the thirty minutes out and he would show them his house.

Being with Elizabeth was just as easy and good as he remembered. They talked, truly talked last night and he didn't worry about censoring his thoughts or how she would react, what she would think of him. He confessed to screwing up five years ago and how it had taken him a long time to find a way to live with himself and the damage he caused. He told her how much it hurt when Sam decided to stay in Port Charles but he had understood her need to know Alexis, even if it hurt.

If he had taken a moment to realize how his decisions would affect his life with Sam instead of taking for granted that she would agree with him, maybe that would have made a difference. He couldn't tell anymore and eventually found a way to let it all go. Perhaps they had always been on this path and this was just one hurdle too many to overcome. Elizabeth hadn't ridiculed him, didn't judge,she just listened and he hadn't known how much he needed that quiet support until she offered it.

She told him about her marriage to Lucky and how it fell apart. In that soft whisper, she confided that maybe Lucky had been right about her. She should have trusted that he would be able to handle any dangerous situations that rose with his job. Perhaps she hadn't believed in him enough.

In a suffocated rasp, stilted and unsteady, Elizabeth retraced the last year of their marriage. It had just always seemed that everytime they dug themselves out from one hole, they ended up trapped in another one. Lucky's need to prove himself had become too much to live with, and his bitter accusations that she regretted marrying him had made her realize that she needed to walk away before they ended up hating each other.

He instinctively wanted to say something, do something to make things right, a knee jerk reaction to the distress of someone he cared about. Yet he didn't. He knew that these wereold feelings, she didn't need him to rescue her. Elizabeth had realized long ago that she couldn't take on Lucky's issues. So he just held her hand and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. It seemed he had learned something during these years of exile and Elizabeth hadhandled her own problems without needing someone to rescue her.

They had both grown.

The sound of Cam rushing around the fountain, laughing and avoiding his mother and her quest for pictures, pulled him from his thoughts.He was a great little boy and Elizabeth was doing a great job raising him. Bright with a clean innocence thatonly a child could shine with, he wore a simple white shirt and pants that Elizabeth had purchased from a store the day before. She had seen the little church from the balcony of his apartment and asked him about it. When he told her, yes, he did attend services there when he was still within the city, she rushed out to the store because all she had packed were a few pairs of jeans and t-shirts.

He had thought Carly was a good mother, and in her way, she was. She had the added help of nanny's and other family members to help with Michael and Morgan though. He had played a major role in raising those boys up until five years ago. If he wondered about his nephew and godson, then he had to trust that they were in capable hands because he was no longer apart of their lives. That separation had hurt but it was unavoidable.

Even without telling him so, Jason knew that Elizabeth was raising Cameron on her own. Yes, she accepted help from her grandmother from time to time, but her son was her entire focus and that was something that Jason admired about her. Cam was courteous and smart but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes that reminded Jason of his mother.

When the little boy woke on the plane, he vaguely remembered him from the night before. After some pointed questions that only a child could ask, Cam had decided that he could be trusted. Elizabeth was very careful to call him Roman in front of Cam and it was probably for the best. There was no need to confuse the little boy with false identities. For Cameron Webber, he was Roman Jonas, an old friend of his mother's who they were going to Venice to visit for a while.

He watched as Elizabeth chased Cam with a teasing smile her laughter ringing through the air. She wore a wispy blue sundress that made her eyes sparkle radiantly. Thick tresses bounced with her footsteps and when she glanced over at him, he felt something tighten with longing. It reminded him of everything he could have had. A wife. A son. A family.

They had exited the small church this morning and he decided to take them out to brunch at the tiny café where he often stopped in for a cup of coffee. The owner, Vincent, a salt and pepper haired man with a loud barking laughter and a welcoming smile, had taken one look at Elizabeth and nodded his appreciation.

"She is beautiful Roman. You are a lucky man," he had complimented in thickly accented English as he pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

Vincent then scuffed Cam across the top of his head and promised to bring them a meal they would always remember.This was the most relaxed he felt in years. Not because he didn't have to worry about work. He liked the shipping business, it kept his mind active and provided enough of a challenge to keep him from being bored.

The company was much like running the coffee business had been, only now he didn't have to worry about territory. He wasn't breaking the law and he didn't have to kill anyone who got in his way. There was always the chance that someone from the business would recognize him despite the name change, but no one would think to look for Jason Morgan, enforcer of Port Charles within the disguise of Roman Jonas, shipping magnet. Sometimes the best way to hide was in plain sight. No one who knew him from his life before would truly recognize him now, which was why he felt safe in bringing Elizabeth and Cameron along with him back to Venice.

If he thought for one moment that she would be in danger he would have his jet take her back to Port Charles and never contact her again.

Who did he think he was fooling? That smile had crawled back inside of him just like those years before and the last thing he wanted was to send her away. Seeing Elizabeth and her son together tugged at something deep inside him. At first he thought maybe it was residual feelings for Sam, the life they could have had together. Then she had walked out of that small bedroom on the jet and Jason knew that every thought he was having, every yearning that had sparked to life deep inside his body, was focused solely on the beautiful woman standing before him.

Did she know how tempted he had been to peel back those buttons ontheshirt he had lent herand bare that smooth skin for his touch?

When he had stepped into the room earlier for a change of clothes, he had stopped for a moment to watch her sleep, her lovely face gentled with rest. Long brown hair, spread messily over his pillow, that lush mouth, it had left him with an ache surprisingly strong.

Elizabeth started apologizing for coming along with him and his first thought had been maybe she was sorry and wanted to go back to Port Charles. It was startling how much he didn't like that thought and he had wanted to do something that would make her want to stay. Then she had said his name. The new one, and something had clicked for him. Instead of trying to explain himself, he was still shitty with words that much hadn't changed over the years, he had just kissed her.

Then he really had wanted just to crawl inside her.

Now here it was a beautiful Sunday morning in Venice with Elizabeth Webber and her son Cameron and he was happy. Happy in a way that he hadn't been in a very long time. He needed to find a way to convince her to stay a while longer. To convince her that he wanted them both to stay a while longer. Where this was headed, he had no idea, but for the first time he was going to reach for what he wanted without worrying about the consequences.

Perhaps he would get hurt, yet he had been hurt before and lived to tell. Perhaps it wouldn't work out, he had been in failed relationships before and survived. The one thing he knew was that he wasn't afraid to take this chance. All the other times, he had been afraid to risk. Afraid that something would come along and snatch happiness from him.

Now he was more afraid of what he might lose if he didn't take that risk.

Five years alone had taught him that every thing worthwhile bore some risk and fear could be conquered.

Elizabeth glanced over at Roman, she called him Roman now simply because it was best and helped her remember the pretense to keep him safe. He sat at the table watching them with a small smile curving his lips. Dressed in the light grey suit and the blue shirt beneath that made his eyes passionate, he looked the most content that she had ever seen him. The rough edge that always seemed to surround him was still there, it probably always would be but he seemed different. Relaxed.

Roman Jonas serene was extremely sexy. Those hooded eyes, the deceptively lazy posture that shimmered with heat. Who was she kidding? Those separate bedrooms that he offered last night weren't going to make it through this next evening. There was no way she was going to deny herself the experience of making love to this man. No matter what happened afterwards.

He had told her once about the light in Venice and the wonder in his voice had shown her a part of his heart that he kept hidden from most people. Now she was here with him, experiencing the amazing sight for herself and her fingers itched to paint. It was a sensation that she had pushed aside to make a life for her son and now it almost roared with it's need to be sated.

How would she paint the bridges, or the water that if you listened closely you could hear? Would she use oil or watercolors to depict the wonderful old buildings and the people who walked along? She wanted a picture of Cam in front of this beautiful fountain, with the water trickling behind him drawn from her own hands, not just a photograph. She wanted to capture Roman and that contented expression on his face.

She didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry that she was given this gift. All she knew was that she owed it to Roman.

"You should take a picture with us," she heard Cam call out to Roman. He shook his head and Elizabeth knew that she wanted him to do this for her.

"Oh Roman doesn't like taking pictures, he's shy." She sat down next to her son on the edge of the fountain and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"That's ridiculous,"Roman smirked, and she could tell that he had caught on to her tactics.

"Maybe he's just afraid he'll break the camera if he smiled," she teased and Cam burst into laughter.

"Come on Roman," Cam waved him over, "Mom won't let it go if you don't take a picture. She even worse about homework."

"That's right," she nodded, "I'm like a terrier."

"More like a terror," he put in but stood from his seat and walked over to them, that loose limbed stride had her body humming with appreciation.

Vincent, the nice man who made them the delicious lunch of minestrone and baked bread that practically melted in her mouth, came outside then wiping his hands on the apron around his waist. The café was empty now except for them, so he must have heard her teasing Roman. "Did I hear something about pictures?"

"Yeah, my Mom is trying to convince Roman to take one with us," Cam called out cheerfully.

Elizabeth forced a demure smile, despite the laughter that threatened to burst free and placed the digital camera in Roman's hands. An eyebrow raised just a fraction but she could see the grin he was holding back. He couldn't fool her for one moment. He never Vincentandsat next to her. Retribution gleaming in his eyes, he placed an arm around her shoulders.

"You owe me," he murmured but smiled as the flash flickered taking the picture.

Feeling just a bit naughty she leaned over and touched her mouth softly to his feeling his groan of surprise just moments before his hand lightly grasped her chin. She drank in his tenderness, thrilling at the slow shivery kiss that made her body crave his touch. When they broke apart, her eyes fluttered open and she allowed the loving curve to spread across her lips. "Yes, I do," she whispered meaning much more than owing him for a simple picture.

He had opened her heart again and she was delighted to welcome him inside.

Samantha Spencer typed in more information into her computer and was mystified at how easy it was to uncover the owner of the Jonas Corporation, one Roman Jonas. Doodling on a piece of paper revealed that rearranging the letters and adding the missing g, gave her the name Jason Morgan. There were no pictures available of the CEO, but she managed to dig up some information about the man. Aged thirty five, wealthy, he owned an apartment near the Jonas Corp. headquarters as well as a house a few miles out of the city.

He was considered a recluse and allowed the vice-president of the company to take care of any media scrutiny. It sounded exactly like a man who didn't want to be found. She knew that sometimes the best way to hide was in plain sight.Or maybe she was just placing too much on the possibility.

Even now, she didn't quite understand why she agreed to look into this for Emily. If Sonny discovered that Jason had returned to Port Charles he would try to go after him and did she really want to be responsible for that happening. Yes, part of her was still angry that he had tossed aside everything they had, trying to look out for his sister. Did that mean she wanted to punish him? Hadn't they all been through enough?

She and Jason had a future ahead of him and the next instant it was gone.A part of her that knew that if Jason betrayed Sonny, it was going to go bad. However she remained silent because it was business and she didn't feel that she had a right to interfere in his business.

The day he left and she told him that she wasn't going with him, she knew it had hurt him, but he had hurt her too. Jason left Port Charles and she stayed here. Until now she had never once regretted that decision. Now all of these doubts kept swimming in her head.

Okay, honesty Samantha, she reminded herself. She just a bit jealous that Jason hadn't come back to see her but to see Liz.

She had no real reason to be jealous. She was with Lucky, she loved him completely and it had taken a very long time to get over losing Jason. Lucky waited patiently until she trusted him and their feelings for each other and now they were happily married, shared a beautiful little girl and a business that they were both good at.

Lucky who still had no idea that she believed that his ex-wife had run off with Jason Morgan.

She looked at the computer screen and the information, glanced down at the print out of the travel arrangements for one to Venice, Italy and wondered again, if she was happy, then why was she going after Jason Morgan?

And why had he returned for Elizabeth Webber?


	5. She Will Be Loved

"That's right Emily," Sam confirmed easily on the phone, "I was completely wrong about my suspicions about Jason. Liz may have taken off with some guy named Roman Jonas, but he's not Jason." She rolled her eyes at the insistent whine on the other end, holding the earpiece slightly away so the woman wouldn't injure her eardrums.

"I'm looking at a picture of him right now Emily. Roman Jonas has long black hair, green eyes and looks a lot like that guy, Hayden Christensen from Star Wars. His family originates from a little village outside of Venice and evidently he's some kind of business genius."

Or at least that was what the information she fed into the computer said.

Three days passed with her holding on to those tickets. Three days where she wondered why she was so worried about what Jason was doing with Liz Webber. Then this morning when she woke to her little girl climbing into bed with her and Lucky, Sam finally realized she didn't really care what Jason was doing with Liz. It was his life and this was hers. If he found some part of what she had, then she would be happy for him.

She would always be grateful to Jason for showing her what love was, but she was married to Lucky and found a love that left her content. Happy. A marriage and a life that was everything she always wanted, so the last thing she could do for Jason was keep Emily and Sonny out of his life.

She reached down and picked up the last of the print outs and ran them through the shredder. "I have no idea where Jason Morgan is Emily and maybe its better if we just left him be."

Six days turned into six weeks.

Then gradually blended into four months.

Four months of waking in her arms. Four months of feeling her curled next to him, of burying himself in her. Four months of paradise found in her embrace.

Romanrecalled one early morning after making love, as she straddled his waist, her soft hair cascading around her beautiful face, and she asked him why he had come back to Port Charles.

"It can't have just been for the painting, because I'm sure that you could have had that sent over." She leaned over and brushed the side of his face offering him a tempting taste of one ripe breast. His tongue trailed around the taut nipple, before drawing her into his mouth to suckle,feeling her arch beneath his hands.

Her soft moan had raced through his blood, thickened his arousal much to his amusement, since he had thought they had thoroughly pleasured each other only moments before. He would never get enough of her. The sleek caress of her body against his, the need that arced like electricity through him whenever she was near was never quite sated. Knowing he could give himself to her totally and that she had placed herself into his hands with absolute trust filled him with an amazing sense of completeness.

"Roman," she murmured, pushing him gently back onto the pillow. "I'm serious." She sat back with probably the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. "Why did you come back?"

He shrugged, not really knowing the answer to that question. He hadn't thought about it much."I know I wanted your painting to hang in the gallery. I guess after I had my assistant make the arrangements, I realized I wanted to be there when you saw it for the first time. I wanted to see your face."

"You risked everything to see my reaction."

"Yes." And that's when he knew, she had always been apart of him even when he hadn't realized it. "I wanted to see you."

"I'm glad," she blinked slowly then moved so that she could rest her head on his chest. He brushed his fingers through her hair, loving her warm feminine scent that teased his senses. "I'm so very glad Roman."

Nowit was one late afternoon, and they were all outside together. Elizabeth had set up her easel in the rear garden, she was painting the field of wild flowers that ran adjacent to the house. It was a plot he was considering purchasing and she had smirked that morning over coffee and asked when he became such a real estate tycoon. He had shrugged; it was interesting, just like that olive grove he was considering buying.

Roman glanced up from his paperwork over at the watercolor that she was working on, smiling in appreciation of her wonderful talent. The afternoon she rushed in with the large bags of materials, he had just smiled and had one of the servants clean out a room with good sunlight for her. He was happy that she had rediscovered her painting. It had brought out a glow in her that was missing when she first arrived. Or maybe it was just the soft Venetian sunlight that made her look like a sun kissed peach.

Or maybe it was love.

Damn he hoped so, because his heart was burning with it.

Cam had glanced over from the kite he was reeling in and asked, "Not that I'm complaining," which is usually how he started a sentence when he was trying to get something he wanted, "Butdidn't school start last week, Mom?"

Roman raised an eyebrow at Elizabeth, felt his something stop in his chest as he waited expectantly for her answer. They had shared four wonderful months together. Yet it was four months with no commitment on either of their parts and each day that passed now, he woke with the fear that maybe today she would decide it was time to return to Port Charles.

Today would be the day he would discover if his risk had paid off.

Elizabeth glanced up from her painting and shrugged, "Well we'll just have to look into finding something here."

"Aww, Mom," Cam whined, his face creasing into a grimace of disappointment. "Just when I was having fun."

"You brought it up. You suffer the consequences," she reminded him lightly, brushing paint in a jagged swirl and he watched a tree come to life. "I'm sure Roman can handle the details." Then she looked into his eyes and smiled, jumpstarting his heart and sending it racing madly. He knew what she was telling him. He just couldn't believe it.

She was going to stay.

But how long? Just until school was outfor the holidays?The next year? Forever, hissoul whispered longingly.

"I don't know," he started, about to lay his entire world on the line, "I guess I could get the paperwork started, but if you're going to live with me, you're going tohave to marry me."

Cameron stopped short, his eyes wide with shock. He and Elizabeth had made no secret of their relationship from him. He was there for every moment, every change and that was the way it should be. Roman didn't miss the leap of hope in his eyes and was touched thatCam wanted him to be apart of their family.

Elizabeth looked back again, an eyebrow raised and mischief lurking in her eyes, "Well, I guess if I have to marry you." She set the brush down on the edge of the easel and began wiping her fingers. "I mean, since I love you and everything it only makes sense right?"

Roman swallowed past the thick lump in his throat, but couldn't stop the broad grin that spread across his face, "Yeah, it only makes sense for two people who love each other to get married."

Cameron whooped loudly, tossing his kite into the air and began dancing around in a circle laughing happily. Roman heard the little boy chanting repeatedly how they were going to stay here forever and now he had a Dad. He couldn't have stopped the quick rush of tears that blurred his vision even if he wanted to.

Elizabeth crossed the distance between them, seeing the emotion fill his face and felt her heart swell with love. How could she not love him? She had been half way in love with this man most of her adult life.

When he was Jason Morgan, he was her friend. He walked into Jake's that night and talked her down from what could have been the biggest mistake of her life. He listened as she mourned a lost love and was always there when she needed him, with no questions asked. The day she found him shot and bleeding in the snow, she was finally given the opportunity to return the favor.

Something had grown between them during that time and despite the different paths their lives had taken, despite her marriages and giving birth to her son, despite his relationships and self-destructing five years ago, despite their brief time of anger, somehow they had found their way back to each other.

She straddled his lap, comfortable here after months of loving him, making love to him and felt her heart soar. His arms wrapped around her, giving her what he always had, safety, comfort, affection. With this man, she discovered the life she was meant to lead and love that she was meant to have.

His strong hands cupped her face sweetly, making her heart turn over with his tenderness. He always made her melt with his tenderness. Carefully he placed his mouth against hers, just a soft touch, because they both knew that the passion between them could blaze brightly without much of a stir. "I love you," he whispered against her mouth. "I always will."

"I know," she smiled, kissing him again. "I love you too. I always will."

_The Sweetest Good-Bye_

Audrey Hardy handed the clipboard back to the messenger after signing to accept the package, then thanked him and said, "Have a nice day."

She looked down at the large manila envelope, saw the familiar handwriting and felt a tremor go through her fingers. Closing the door behind her, she walked quickly to the couch to sit and carefully opened the packet and slipped out the heavy silver frame.

Tears blurred her eyes.

A pale pink sheet of paper slipped out as well and she opened it to read.

_Hey Grams,_

_It's me Elizabeth. I know you've probably been worried about me and Cameron these past six months and I'm terribly sorry I haven't been able to do more than call and speak to you briefly. _

_I want you to know that we're both fine and very loved._

_When I decided to leave, I knew I was risking everything and I'll never regret making that choice. It has brought me more happiness than I have ever thought possible. Please tell all of my friends not to worry about me, I'm safe and sound. I wish I could tell them myself, but it's best this way. I hope that you'll come to visit at Christmas because we miss you a lot. Roman will send the jet for you._

_I love you Grams and thanks foralways being therefor me._

_Be happy for me._

_Love Always,_

_Elizabeth Webber Jonas_

Audrey stood and placed the picture on the mantel with all of the other family portraits and traced a finger across her granddaughter's image. How could she doubt Elizabeth was happy? The picture of her in Jason Morgan's arms, dressed in a beautiful white gown and he in an elegant black suit whispered their happiness. The bright smiles of joy on both of their faces as they stood in front of a quaint old church with Cameron leapingoff the stairs,tossing rice into the air told no lie.

Her Elizabeth was loved.


End file.
